God went ahead to your lowest point

Big Ideas - Mark 15:16-32 - The story of Good Friday is split up into 3 sections, each with its own focus or lens - This lens is humiliation. Mark is focusing on the mockery that Jesus suffered. - The physical pain of the crucifixion is only given one sentence in Mark’s account - If Physical suffering was the point of Jesus’ crucifixion, it would have gotten more explanation in the story - Crucifixion itself was designed to maximize humiliation and shame, not to maximize pain - Jesus went lower, and lower, until he got to the lowest point that a human could get at this time - This was what Jesus accomplished on the cross - The humiliation IS the glorification of God - This is the image of the invisible God - The clearest picture we’ve ever seen of God is Jesus suffering humiliation on the cross - The reason? Solidarity with people feeling shame. - Solidarity with you - You have a God who understands you - You have a God who understands what you’re feeing, and is sharing the burden you’re carrying - When you get to your lowest point, God has gone ahead, and is already waiting for you there. - You never have to be alone. Questions - Read through the story together, talk about what stands out to you in the relentless lowering of Jesus - Have you thought or been told that the point of the crucifixion was the amount of pain that Jesus suffered for you? - What does it change if the crucifixion is about humiliation and shame? - Have you felt like God is too good, too distant to feel what you’re feeling when you’re in a bad place? - Can you find comfort in God actually understanding what you’re feeling no matter how bad things get? - What do you think about a God who would come that far to share your lowest experience with you? - Does this make it easier to think about sharing the burdens of others?